Public criticism is mounting after revelations that police may have mishandled the case of a foreign diplomat involved in a fatal road crash, with legal experts and campaigners saying officers “should have made an arrest.”
The incident, which claimed the life of 19-year-old Harry Dunn in 2019 near RAF Croughton in Northamptonshire, has resurfaced following new scrutiny over the police response and the handling of diplomatic immunity claims.
Anne Sacoolas, the wife of a U.S. intelligence officer, fled the UK shortly after the crash, citing diplomatic immunity. While she later admitted responsibility and was handed a suspended sentence via video link in a UK court, critics argue the initial police inaction undermined justice.
Former senior officers and legal analysts have now stated that Northamptonshire Police had legal grounds to arrest Sacoolas before she left the country.
“There was a window of opportunity to act, and the failure to do so may have permanently affected the course of justice,” said a former Metropolitan Police commander, speaking to British media.
Harry Dunn’s family has long campaigned for accountability and transparency, maintaining that law enforcement failed to treat the case with the seriousness it deserved.
“This was not a diplomatic issue — it was a criminal act. The police should have arrested her,” said Radd Seiger, the family’s spokesperson. “We continue to seek justice not only for Harry but to ensure this never happens again.”
The Home Office has yet to comment on the latest claims, while calls grow for a parliamentary inquiry into how cases involving diplomatic immunity are handled by UK authorities.